


Maddening

by Ray_Writes



Series: Tumblr Prompts [55]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Pre-Relationship, no mind wipe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:00:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23497897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ray_Writes/pseuds/Ray_Writes
Summary: The Doctor and Donna are perfect for each other, so Martha doesn't understand why they can't see it. Martha and Mickey are perfect for each other, so Donna doesn't understand why they can't see it.In which friends may be projecting their own issues onto each other.
Relationships: Martha Jones/Mickey Smith, Tenth Doctor/Donna Noble
Series: Tumblr Prompts [55]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/763443
Comments: 11
Kudos: 50





	Maddening

**Author's Note:**

  * For [colorofmymind](https://archiveofourown.org/users/colorofmymind/gifts).



> Hello, long time no see! My fault, sorry. But I was given a prompt by colorofmymind to write some more Doctor/Donna for you all, and I decided to throw in some Martha/Mickey as a treat. Please assume that this fic takes place in a universe where Donna did not have to forget everything in Journey’s End, that she and the Doctor kept on traveling and that sometimes they hang out with their friends. I hope you enjoy this little drabble, and thanks for reading!

“It’s maddening,” Martha said as she dropped onto the couch.

“What is?”

“Them!” Her roommate only shrugged, so Martha snagged the popcorn bowl off Mickey’s lap to help herself and hopefully draw his attention.

“Oh, alright, what about them?” He asked, lowering the volume on the telly without even being asked.

“Well it’s just, you saw them today.” It had been hard not to. What had started out as a catch-up session with Donna and the Doctor over coffee had ended up being a full-blown investigation and chase when Martha and Mickey had finally gotten their first credible call about freelance work. The other pair had naturally come along — hard to stop the Doctor when he was around — and had torn from one end of the site to the other bickering and babbling together in turns, before deciding a rather clever strategy together that Martha and Mickey had been able to build into an actionable plan.

“I’ve never seen him as happy as when he’s around her. And Donna, she just lights up, you know?”

“So?”

“So why don’t they _do_ anything about it?” She shoved another handful of the popcorn in her mouth. “I know you think he really loved Rose and all, but he’s definitely over the hang-up there if you ask me. And Donna wants to spend the rest of her life with him.”

“Maybe they’re just in a good place, taking it as it comes,” Mickey suggested. “You don’t want to rush something like that, do you?”

His question had come out almost too lightly, as though he really wanted her to believe he wasn’t remotely interested in the answer.

“No, I suppose not,” she agreed slowly, returning the bowl to the middle seat on the couch separating them. “I guess I just hope they do something about it sooner rather than later. No sense denying yourself happiness, right?”

Martha couldn’t look at him. She told herself it was because the game on the television was just too interesting.

“Right.” There was a pause, almost too long, before Mickey asked, “More popcorn?”

“Yeah, thanks,” she answered, a little fast and a little shaky. She managed a tight smile that Mickey returned fleetingly as he stood up with the nearly empty bowl. They hovered like that for the space of a breath that seemed to take an eternity — and she’d been to the end of the world. Then Mickey seemed to make a great effort to turn and leave the room.

“Get a hold of yourself, Dr. Jones,” Martha muttered. “You’re talking about your friends, not- not this.”

There wasn’t a this anyway. They were just friends and business partners who had moved in together to save on expenses. Not that she’d _mind_ if they — but they weren’t. Were they?

Was this how her friends always felt?

\---

“It’s maddening, isn’t it?” Donna asked aloud. “I said, _isn’t it?_ ” She added a moment later, prodding the Doctor with her foot down the other end of the couch.

“Hm?” He peered at her through his spectacles he didn’t need over the edge of his book. Probably thought it made him look clever.

“Martha and Mickey.”

“Yes.”

“Are maddening.”

“Are they? What about?”

“Because they’re not together!” Donna exclaimed. “I mean, they’re just so _perfect._ ”

“Thought you were happy for Martha when she had Tom,” the Doctor said, frowning as he set aside his book.

“Oh, Tom was just the rebound. Knew that.”

“Rebound?” He mumbled with a frown. Bless him. Probably had been all pleased that Tom seemed like him. He could stand to have the wind taken out of those sails a little.

“Yes,” Donna said, drawing it out. “So now that she’s been through all that she’s found herself a proper match in Mickey — but they’re not doing anything about it!”

They’d been so in sync earlier today, Donna hadn’t been able to stop noticing. It was like they didn’t even need to talk to understand what the other needed in the moment. If that wasn’t true partnership, she’d eat her whole hatbox.

“They work together, live together,” Donna continued, numbering her list on the fingers of one hand. “Why not just do all the rest of it together?”

“All the rest?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean.”

“Haven’t the foggiest,” the Doctor replied loftily.

“Oi, I looked in that big brain of yours once,” Donna reminded him. “I know you know a thing or two.” One or two of the things she remembered had really been, well…

The Doctor coughed, bringing her back to the present as well with a blush, and looked away. “Right, well. Isn’t it their own business? I mean, how would you like it if someone told you that just because you and I live together and work together, we ought to be married and all?” His head tilted, and he scratched at his cheek. “Well, actually, they do. But that’s beside the point.”

“Right,” Donna agreed quickly, because her blush didn’t seem to want to go away.

“The point was — er, what was the point again?”

“About Martha and Mickey being good together.”

“Right. Just because they are doesn’t have to mean anything. It might just mean that they’re a great pair of friends. Best mates. And really, what more can you ask for?” His eyes looked even larger than usual behind his glasses as he searched her face. “If you were going to ask, anyway.”

“And no one says you have to ask,” Donna hurriedly assured him, suddenly terrified he would because asking meant answering, and what was she supposed to answer with? How did anybody ever answer those great brown eyes of his? It was unfair to expect her to work under these conditions.

“ _Exactly,_ ” the Doctor agreed with emphasis. “Sometimes you just carry on, as the Brits would say.”

“I’ll drink to that,” she declared, standing. “Come on, let’s find somewhere to drink it to.”

“I like the way you think, Donna Noble.” His spectacles were tossed into a jacket pocket as he jumped up and led the way out of the TARDIS library, Donna right by his side.

Best to put her friends and the whole thing out of her mind for the time being. They were probably thinking about it enough on their own, right?


End file.
